Air Dolomiti, the Italian airline company of the Lufthansa Group, announced investments and a growth plan that involves hiring new staff.
The company, strongly rooted in the Verona area, is planning the introduction of new machines – currently 12 operational ones – that will bring the fleet to a total of 26 units.
The arrival of new aircraft will take place gradually from January 2019 to 2023. This will open the doors to hundreds of new hires of both land operators and air crews.
In particular, for the pilots, a cutting-edge project is being planned – an absolute innovation in Italy: the creation of a Flying Academy signed by Air Dolomiti from which new pilots will be born. This is being developed in collaboration with the Lufthansa Aviation Training Center and the European Flight Academy – EFA.
Air Dolomiti will finance it partially by offering scholarships to allow the cadets in their training course. An agreement with an important bank is being concluded to facilitate the aspiring pilots.
Air Dolomit is investing to research young people who wish to embark on this journey by proposing ad-hoc training that involves passing an initial selection with specific tests such as the DLR in Hamburg in Germany in English, psycho-attitudinal tests, and then continue the preparation in respect of the standard of the Lufthansa Group.
In the two-year program, the aspiring first officers will have to obtain all the patents and certification to be able to sit in the cockpit of the Embraer 195, the 120-seat Air Dolomiti jet. The only constraint is they will have to stay in the company for at least 5 years. The first selections will start in 2019 but candidates can already send their curriculum vitae to this link.
“Air Dolomiti will support the program financially with the intention of finding motivated and capable young people who seize this great opportunity,” said Joerg Eberhart, Air Dolomiti President & CEO, who continued, “becoming an air pilot is a dream that often remains in the drawer for economic reasons, because it is very expensive to obtain the license. I am convinced that there are many talented boys and girls who deserve an opportunity. Italy is a country full of potential candidates, and I hope that our idea will be welcomed with enthusiasm.”
Another partner of the project is the University of Verona with which Air Dolomiti is defining an agreement to propose to future pilots a university course to complete that of the Flying Academy. The collaboration with the University is the premise for a future and wider partnership.
With the support of the European Flight Academy, the new Flight Academy will be able to take advantage of the many years of experience of the Lufthansa Aviation Training Center, an exclusive supplier for pilots and the Lufthansa Cabin Crew Training Group.
Within the European Flight Academy (EFA) brand, the Lufthansa Aviation Training Center groups all the Lufthansa Group flight schools and graduates meet the high standards of the airline and have exclusive access to the group’s internal job opportunities.
The Air Dolomiti plan is a sign of positive growth for the Verona area and an important contribution that the company offers in the training of qualified professionals, creating job opportunities as well as a positive trend in the sector in Italy.
The Air Dolomiti Academy opens the doors to all those who have a great passion for flying and want to become part of a company known in Europe for seriousness and reliability.
